Colombo, Sep 11 (UNI) Virat Kohli and KL Rahul cracked sterling centuries to help India post a stupendous 356/2 in Asia Cup's third Super 4 match against Pakistan at R Premadasa Stadium here on Monday.
This was absolute annihilation as the duo took the most feared bowling attack of the tournament without any mercy. Both stitched an unbeaten 233 runs for the third wicket, the highest partnership in Asia Cup.
After a long delay and a reserve day, the Pakistanis could have been cursing the rain gods and then their fate as they lost Haris Rauf due to an injury today.
Taking advantage of it, Rahul and Virat took calculated risks, but then attacked the part-timers with ferocity. It was a magnificent comeback for Rahul who flaunted his class picking up the balls early while executing unblemished flicks and drives to notch up his 6th ODI ton.
Virat, at the other end, showed yet again why he is called King Kohli, even though he was not as flamboyant as Rahul who had more boundaries to his name. He kept his partner busy by taking cheeky runs and ended up scoring at a strike rate of nearly 130.
Virat slammed 122 from 94 balls in an innings studded with 9 boundaries and 3 sixes. Batting on 98, he became the fastest batsman to reach 13,000 ODI runs, breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record.
Tendulkar had achieved the milestone in 321 innings, and Virat did in just 277 innings. This also was the 4th consecutive century for Virat at this venue.
Rahul remained unbeaten on 111 from 106 balls with 12 boundaries and 2 sixes.
Resuming at 147/2 in 24.1 overs, Virat and Rahul were on top of the Pakistan bowling, but Virat survived a close call for caught behind while batting on 19. There was a definite noise, but it sniffed the thigh pad as the UltraEdge revealed.
Rahul reached his fifty in 60 balls after he ambled across for a single off Faheem Ashraf after he took to cleaners spinner Iftikhar Ahmed.
After achieving the milestone, Rahul did not stop at that. He took on spinner Shadab Khan and struck an awesome wristy whip over deep mid-wicket for a six, just before executing an excellent sweep over backward square leg for a boundary in the same over.
Virat, on the other hand, was not as flamboyant as Rahul, but batted intelligently, punishing only the bad deliveries for boundaries. He reached his half-century in 55 balls with 4 boundaries.
India had a great start yesterday after Pakistan Captain Babar Azam sent in India to bat in the rain-affected match. Captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill came out with a positive intention against the new ball.
Rohit was nervous against the pacers, but made up by taking on Shadab for a 19-run over. Both openers got fifties before they were dismissed in successive overs. Then came the rain, a long delay and then a reserve day. UNI BDN